Nantucket Needs a Bike Path to Cisco on Hummock Pond Road!

Nantucket Needs a Bike Path to Cisco on Hummock Pond Road as soon as possible!

Over the last number of years traffic on Hummock Pond Road has increased 10 fold, not just vehicle traffic but pedestrian and bicycle. Cisco Beach, and the Hummock Pond area of Nantucket have grown rapidly into one of the most popular destinations on the island both commercially and recreationally.

A number of years ago, Bartlett Farm underwent a very large expansion converting their local farmers market into one of Nantucket most desirable groceries and nurseries. Use and demand of the new market has increased traffic flow on a year round basis, the only road into the Farm is Hummock Pond Road.

Cisco Brewers has seen a major expansion and demand as well. In the spring summer and fall Cisco Brewery is a major attraction not just for tourist but locals alike who enjoy the relaxed atmosphere of the brewery, on any given summer afternoon you will see almost 100 cars parked with people enjoying the brewery. Its not just vehicle traffic the Brewery creates on Hummock Pond Road, many people will walk or bike from Town.

Surfing has always been popular on Nantucket, Surfing Cisco Nantucket but in recent years there has been an explosion of interest. There are multiple camps, and schools that have locations in the Cisco area, families, children and adults will be found every day of summer traveling to Cisco to enjoy this wonderful summer activity.

The bike path network on Nantucket is tremendous! It is enjoyed by thousands of people every year for recreation, healthy activities and as a transportation resource. The current network of paths services areas like Polpis, Surfside, Madaket and Dionis; NONE of these locations have the commercial demand and traffic that the Cisco/Hummock area of the island has today. As wonderful and scenic as these existing paths are, none would match the public safety benefit as a bike path running the entire length of Hummock Pond Road that would improve access to Cisco Beach, Bartlett Farm and Cisco Brewery.

In recent years public transportation on Nantucket has grown dramatically. The NRTA otherwise known as The Wave bus service is doing a wonderful job servicing island areas like Sconset, the airport, and some beaches like Surfside and Madaket. One of the only beach areas on Nantucket that is not serviced by the NRTA is Cisco. The current route known as the Miacomet Loop stops at the corner of Somerset and Hummock Pond Road, while this is a benefit to the area it falls short. Stopping the route at this location only generates more pedestrian traffic on the remaining distance to the beach, farm and brewery.

The Town of Nantucket has an excellent planning department, a dedicated group of selectman and Town employees who have made tremendous efforts throughout the years in servicing the public interest and safety. The process for the bike path is underway in mulitiple phases, here is a link to the Towns website for information on their progress.

With this letter I implore you the reader to reach out, call, or write a letter to Nantucket’s Selectman, Planning Board members, Hummock Pond Road residents, your friends, neighbors and tenants who enjoy Nantucket; educate them on the need and demand for a complete bike path the entire length of Hummock Pond Road as soon as possible before we have a tragedy strikes and we all say we should have done it sooner.

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